Home of the Week: View-swept retreat overlooking Sonoma
Seamlessly blended into the contours of Sonoma Mountain, a tranquil private domain overlooks wine country from its forested vantage point at 19501 Brooklime Road. Inside, a symphony of rich woods and vast windows pays tribute to the mastery of William Turnbull, the renowned Pacific Coast architect whose “devotion to wood, and to the softness of the landscape, gave all his buildings an easy, relaxed grace” (NY Times).
Throughout the flowing interior, walls of glass frame stunning vistas from the Sonoma Valley to Mount Diablo and the North Bay. Since two adjacent parcels are designated as preserved agricultural space, few other homes can be seen. Over three rolling acres are home to deer and birds. Cattle graze on the pastureland below; vineyards and olive groves add to the ever-changing tableau.
The rooms, wrapped in walls of vertical grain Douglas fir and red oak flooring, offer a variety of vantage points and a gentle indoor/outdoor flow over changing levels. Sliding glass doors open onto patios and entertaining areas, some shaded by mature trees, others dappled with sunshine. Four of the home’s rooms are delightfully octagonal, including one of the two offices and the breakfast room, accessed by multiple sets of wide French doors. The formal living room, lit by a lofty atrium ceiling, is accented by a beautiful fireplace and built-in seating along the floor-to-ceiling windows. Beyond is a spacious kitchen with granite counters, double oven, center cooktop island with pull-up seating, and walk-in pantry.
A subtle treehouse feeling suffuses the upper level master retreat, whose indulgent spa bathroom has a deep soaking tub, two separate vanities, and an enormous skylit walk-in shower with etched glass grape motif. Two generous closets complete the setting. The suite accesses an outdoor atrium used as an exercise room. The two other bedrooms, each closed off from the main house by pocket doors, offer unique vantage points on the property. Just beyond the two-car garage, a separate one-bedroom guest unit with full bath, kitchenette and breakfast nook has French doors to an outdoor setting.
As part of the prestigious George Ranch enclave, the home enjoys access to tennis courts and use of the clubhouse, ideal for meetings and social functions. Downtown Sonoma and the villages of Glen Ellen and Kenwood are just over ten minutes away. The Golden Gate Bridge is about an hour’s drive.
Turnbull passionately believed it was possible to design new architecture for the Pacific Coast landscape that was respectful, not intrusive. “The shape of the ground, the view, the quality and type of tree cover, the sun, the wind all have voices that I listen to and learn from,” he said. In this home, the architect realized his vision. It’s listed by Maurice Tegelaar and Matt Sevenau at $2,975,000.
